How to make easy, healthy salads

I’LL JUST HAVE THE SALAD.

“Salads don’t fill me up,” or “I don’t like salad,” are two statements I hear A LOT…and not just from my husband! They’re two statements that I know I used to say a lot also.

However, what I didn’t know when I was younger was how extremely delicious {in addition to nutritious} a salad can really taste and how easy they are to put together. I like to get my greens in daily {remember my post about that here?}. Virtually all of my leftovers go on top of a bed of lettuce. See, that’s how REALLY easy they can be!

I now know easy, healthy salads can be put together quickly, taste delicious, and fill you up. And guess what? My husband and I both now love them!

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WHAT I THOUGHT A SALAD WAS.

Growing up, I thought salad was a bag of iceberg lettuce mix smothered in ranch or Italian dressing. {Sorry, iceberg lettuce, I’m not trying to bring you down, but you’re just not packing the nutrition content or flavor as some of your other leafy green friends!} I ate it virtually every day in high school in our cafeteria. I thought it tasted great then, especially if you caked some croutons or a bunch of crackers on top!

Essentially, all I was doing was consuming more of the dressing than I was the lettuce.

Yeah, I know, not the healthiest of options. No wonder those salads never filled me up! But at least I was getting some greens in right…at least that was my way of thinking then.

When I tried eating salads as meals, I was never full. Probably because once again, I was consuming lots of empty calories in the unhealthy dressing and overly-processed bread crumbs and crackers I thought tasted so good.

I could never understand how people could really enjoy liking salad as their main course AND be full. Sure, it was easy to throw together {I mean you just reach in the bag and smother it in dressing}, but I still never understood the “I LOVE salads” people.

I thought for sure they were missing out, but I didn’t realize it was me that was missing out.

A REAL SALAD.

At age 19, I started working as a housekeeper and part-time cook in somebody’s private home. As part of the job, I would frequently travel to a hunting and fishing cabin {ok, it was more like a resort to me} in the late summer and fall to cook for the owner and his guests. The main cook’s food was always top-notch in both taste and ingredients; it had to be for the owner and his family. Virtually every meal was served with a side salad or homemade soup.

I was always amazed by the salad creations the cook put together. I kept looking at all the different greens that were used in the salads, different toppings, and thinking ‘Wow, these look amazing’!

And, they never used a bottled dressing – everything was homemade from oils, vinegars, fresh lemon or lime juice, herbs, garlic, so on and so on. The wheels in my head started turning, and I was thinking I could LOVE eating salads if they looked like that!

Essentially, since I was cooking for the owner and his guests, my food had to be top notch quality also. I knew the iceberg lettuce, bottled dressing, and packaged croutons wouldn’t cut it. This is when I really started to research recipes, try new foods, and break out of my shell I’d been living in a bit. And, I’m so glad I did.

I BECAME A SALAD LOVER.

Over the years, a hearty, easy, healthy salad has literally become my favorite food.

Seriously, I LOVE them; yes, I’ve turned into one of “those” people!

No, I no longer use iceberg lettuce mixes and bottled dressings. I use fresh greens such as arugula, spinach, frisse, kale, romaine, butter bib, and dandelion greens.

When I go out to a restaurant, the salad section or salad bar is the first thing I scour, and that’s what I generally end up ordering. I love seeing a huge salad bar filled with multiple fresh options to make an easy, healthy salad…and I leave full AND satisfied.

I eat easy, healthy salads a lot, and often get questions about what I put on them or how to make them taste better.

What type of dressing do you use?

Don’t they get soggy?

What do you put on them?

Do you eat the same salad all the time?

How can you eat a salad every day?

Do your kids to like them?

My husband and I eat them quite frequently for dinner, and I will turn almost any dish into a salad. Gotta get the extra greens in, right?!

TO ANSWER THE ?’S ABOVE.

As far as dressings go, I ditched the bottled dressing years ago and usually use an oil and vinegar, a small drizzle of oil, or salsa and Greek yogurt to top it off.

My salads don’t get soggy because I use all of my dressing on the side or pack it separately if I’m packing a lunch.

More about what I put on them is below!

No, I don’t eat the same salad all the time, but I definitely have of my favorites on rotation frequently. I can eat them every day because I’ve made them taste AMAZING!

I can eat a salad every day because I don’t eat the same one every day! I definitely have salads I eat frequently, but as soon as I start getting burnt out on one, I just don’t eat for a while and mix up the rotation.

Does my daughter always like them? No. She’s 5 and not a huge fan of lettuce yet. BUT she loves the toppings that go on them which are usually loaded with protein, veggies, and healthy fats. As long as she’s getting in some sort of veggies, proteins, fruits, and fats, I’m happy!

HOW TO PUT TOGETHER AN EASY, HEALTHY SALAD ON THE FLY.

Start with a mix of greens – use a spring mix, add in some spinach, whatever you have on hand.

Add some roasted or raw veggies – I like to use broccoli,chopped cabbage, tomatoes, carrots, peas, beets, mushrooms, & edamame.

Throw on some protein! Depending what we have on hand, I use cubed chicken pieces {I cook with salt, pepper, and rosemary or thyme}, hardboiled eggs, leftover burger, and/or beans. For beans, I generally use garbanzo or black beans {whatever’s in the cupboard}.

Don’t forget the fat! Nothing tops a salad off like some chopped walnuts, pecans, almonds, or sunflower seeds, but my favorite? Add about ¼ of an avocado on top. SOO good!

For dressing, I also do this on the side, and I almost always do oil and balsamic vinegar mixed with this type of salad. {You can also add in a pinch of dry mustard, basil, lemon juice, and garlic to enhance the flavor.}

Worried you’ll still be hungry with that heaping bowl? Layer rice or quinoa underneath and turn it into a rice bowl type of dish!

If you’re looking for more of a taco salad style, I like to use the following:

Chop up some fresh romaine lettuce.

Add freshly-cooked turkey burger or grass-fed beef {I like to cook the burger with onions, garlic, salt, pepper, and herbs – such as basil, thyme, or rosemary}.

Add black beans, corn, tomatoes, cilantro, avocado, and some tortilla chips. You can also add cheese if you like.

I’ve gotten to the point that I don’t use anything for a dressing with this salad, but salsa and Greek yogurt works great if you feel like you need something to marry it all together.

A SIMPLE TRICK.

A trick I learned over the years was to always eat my dressing on the side. This helps prevent from over-dressing your salad, keeps it from getting soggy, and helps keep the calories down – especially if you are using a more decadent dressing. I simply dip my fork in prior to stabbing my salad. I think it’s the perfect amount of dressing per bite. It’s AMAZING how much less dressing you actually need compared to what you think you’ll use. You don’t have to do this, but give it a shot, and see if it works for you.

Salads really don’t have to be boring, and if they are, you need to up your game with new flavors, textures, and toppings. You shouldn’t eat them because you feel like you have to; you should eat them because you enjoy them.

So, what’s your favorite way to make a salad?

xo,

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